As you may know, my husband, John, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in January 2015. As you would expect, just like his 49 years of racing to WIN, he has accepted this challenging journey with bravery, courage, optimism and the will to live and WIN.

I am honored to be participating in the 2017 Irvine Walk to Defeat ALS on November 4th and I have set a modest goal of $5000 that will help make a difference for people living with this disease. As you can imagine patient care costs are an astounding $250,000+ per year (beyond what is covered by insurance), which is why the money raised through the Walk is so crucial. That’s why I’m walking . . .for those who can’t. Here are some sobering facts:

• ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A" means no. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means nourishment – "No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes away. "Lateral" identifies the areas in a person's spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates, it leads to scarring or hardening ("sclerosis") in the region.• Approximately 6,000 people in the U.S are diagnosed with ALS each year. The incidence of ALS is two per 100,000 people, and it is estimated that more than 20,000 Americans may be living with ALS at any given time.• The life expectancy of a person with ALS averages about 2-5 years from time of diagnosis.• For unknown reasons, military veterans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease as the general public.• ALS strikes without discrimination and there is no known cause or cure.

In order to achieve my goal, I am asking for your support by making a donation to this very important cause. Any amount is greatly appreciated, every dollar puts us that much closer to finding a cure. Listed below is a small example of what the ALS Association has done and how important your donation is in order for them to continue this great work. Together, we can realize a world without ALS.

TO DONATE

Type in web.alsa.org/Irvine in your web browserScroll down to Top ParticipantsClick on Jeanne's JauntClick on Donate to Jeanne' Jaunt